Clip-on adapter for vending machines



Feb, 17, 1970 A. COHN 3,495,738

CLIP-0N ADAPTER FOR VENDING MACHINES Filed April 1, 1968 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Fig. 5.

1s (Prior Art) 2 Alfred Cohn INVENTOR. 48 BY.

GOLOVE 8: KLElNlBE-RG,

ATTORNEYS.

Feb. 17, 197% A. COHN 3,495,738

CLIP-ON ADAPTER FOR VENDING MACHINES Filed April 1, 1968 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Alfred Cohn,

INVENTOR.

IO f GOLOVE a KLEINBERG,

- ATTORNEYS.

United States Patent 3,495,738 CLIP-0N ADAPTER FOR VENDING MACHINES Alfred Colin, 11133 Garfield Ave., Culver City, Calif. 90230 Filed Apr. 1, 1968, Ser. No. 717,578 Int. Cl. 365g 59/00; B65h 3/00; G071? 11/16 US. Cl. 221-270 4 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A clip-on adapter for a vending machine ejecting member, for converting existing vending machines to dispense packages of greater length than that for which the vending machines were originally designed. The adapter, when installed, increases the effective length of the ejecting member, thereby permitting a longer length package to be dispensed without major conversion of the machine.

This invention relates to vending machines, and more particularly to a clip-on device for adapting a vending machine to dispense articles having greater length than for which the machine was originally designed.

Sales of packaged articles (for example cigarettes, chewing gum, candy, ice cream, sandwiches, etc.) by vending machines have achieved unprecedented popularity in recent years. Such vending machines commonly store a variety of products of uniform size, each product arranged in a separate stack, and dispenses the lowermost package of a selected stack.

Many vending machines are designed and built to accommodate a particular maximum size of package. For example, cigarette vending machines in current use are designed to dispense a variety of different brands of packaged cigarettes of particular maximum length. From time to time, cigarette manufacturers have changed the length of cigarettes, generally for competitive purposes. For example, a recent promotional innovation in cigarette sales has been presented to the purchasing public, involving the manufacture of extra-length cigarettes. Whereas previously, the longest cigarette was nominally 85 millimeters (commonly known as king size), cigarette manfacturers are currently manufacturing cigarettes of nominal lengths of 100 millimeters and greater. The manufacture of the extra-length cigarettes has been accompanied by an extensive promotional campaign directed to cigarette purchasers, which appears to have met with a great deal of success. Although the extralength cigarettes can be purchased over the counter, the convenience attendant vending machine purchasing of such cigarettes has not been extensively realized, since present cigarette vending machines were not designed to accommodate the extra-length packages.

It can be appreciated that unanticipated changes in package size, of the same product, could create an economic burden on an owner of vending machines if he had to discard an operable vending machine merely because the machine cannot accommodate the larger packages. Alternatively, extensive conversion of the machine could also entail considerable expense, in addition to loss of operating time. Obviously, any scheme for converting a vending machine to dispense a longer product must include a replacement of the existing stacking compartments for stacking compartments having greater depth, in order to receive the longer product. However, as explained later, the apparatus for ejecting the lowermost package from the stack must be altered for successful dispensing operation, and this alteration can be expensive because of the large number of ejecting devices utilized in each machine (one for each stack).

The present invention comprises a simple device which 3,495,738 Patented Feb. 17, 1970 can be quickly and easily installed on a package ejection member of an existing vending machine, originally designed for dispensing packages of a particular maximum length, for adapting the machine to dispense packages of greater maximum length. More particularly, the device of the present invention is a clip-on adapter for significant application in combination with the ejection member of a commonly used type of electrically operable cigarette vending machine, such as the vending machine described in a patent to Danziger et al.., No. 3,000,539, issued Sept. 19, 1961.

As disclosed in the Danziger patent, this type of vending machine utilizes a solenoid actuated ejection member including a pivotable arm having a T-shaped finger. The machine provides a compartment having a slotted bottom, and the packages of cigarettes are stacked in the compartment such that their greatest dimension (length) is aligned parallel to the slot. The T-shaped finger has an ejecting head of particular height which is normaly in a first position below the bottom of the compartment, and the ejecting arm is adapted to pivot into a second position above the bottom of the compartment and in register with the lowermost package of the stack when the solenoid is selectively energized. The entire ejecting arm is thereupon rotated through a first distance in a direction for ejecting the lowermost package, and the ejecting head rides upon the edges of the slot, pushing the lower most package a second distance until the package falls from the compartment bottom into a chute for dispensing from the machine.

After the package has been ejected from the container bottom, the ejecting head is replaced in the first position below the bottom, either by gravity or by the ejecting arm striking a reset bar provided by the machine, forcing the head into the first position. The ejecting arm is then repositioned below and near the rear of the compartment, completing the cycle.

In converting a vending machine to accommodate packages of greater length, the ejecting head must be adapted to travel a third distance which. is greater than the second distance, in register with the cigarette package, in order to ensure ejection of the package. For example, the ejecting arm can be displaced a distance toward the rear of the container such that the ejecting head starts its forward movement in register with the lowermost cigarette package further back in the machine. In such case, however, when the ejecting arm is moved the first distance in the ejecting direction (forward), the head moves the second distance which may not be sufficient to cause the package to be ejected from the container bottom. In addition, this second distance is insufficient to cause the ejecting arm to strike the reset bar, so that if the ejecting head is not gravitationally reset in its first position under the container bottom, the head will jam against the container bottom or a package when the ejecting arm is moved toward the rear of the container for completion of its cycle.

The clip-on adapter of the present invention corrects both of the problems above, by modifying the ejecting arm, When installed on the ejecting arm, a new ejecting head is created which has a height greater than the height of the original ejecting head. When the new ejecting head is in register with the lowermost package of the stack, the package will move a third distance when the arm is moved the first distance, the third. distance being sufficient to eject the package from the compartment bottom.

A preferred embodiment of the clip-on adapter comprises a contacting member which includes front and rear resilient portions having a common top edge which is adapted to be in register with the lowermost package of the stack when the adapter is installed on the ejecting head. The rear portion includes hook means for cooperation with the ejecting head, and the front portion includes biasing means for biasing the front portion away from the ejecting head (in the ejecting direction), thereby causing the hook means to be retained by the ejecting head.

In alternative embodiments of the clip-on adapter, the front portion further includes a tongue inclined therefrom and orthogonal to the top edge, the free end of the tongue adapted for bearing against the ejecting arm. The purpose of the tongue is to cooperate with the reset bar after ejection of the cigarette package, for coercing the ejecting head to the first position below the container bottom.

Since the preferred embodiment of the clip-on adapter does not include the tongue of the alternative embodiments, it cannot be utilized for dispensing the extra length packages from vending machines which rely upon cooperation with a reset bar for replacing the ejecting head in the first position. Conversely, where such reliance is not necessary, the preferred embodiment can be so utilized. In addition, however, the preferred embodiment of the clip-on adapter can be utilized in machines of original design (i.e. for dispensing. packages of cigarettes having ordinary length), in order to correct a problem known as last pack tip-up, a condition familiar with those skilled in the vending machine art, discussed in greater detail later.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an easily installable device for adapting a vending machine which was originally designed for dispensing packages of a predetermined maximum length, to dispense packages of greater maximum length.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a clip-on adapter for an ejecting member of a vending machine, for permitting the machine to dispense packages of greater length.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a clip-on adapter to an ejecting member of the package vending machine for eliminating jamming of the machine when dispensing the last package from a stack.

It is yet another object of the present invention to provide an easily installable device for adapting a vendvending machine, for creating a new ejecting head adapted to be in register with the lowermost package of a stack, which new head is adapted to move a greater distance than the original ejecting head when the ejecting member is moved a predetermined distance.

The novel features which are believed to be characteristic of the invention, together with further advantages thereof, will be better understood from the following description considered in connection with the accompanying drawings in which various embodiments of the invention are illustrated by way of example. It is expressly understood, however, that the drawings are for the purpose of illustration and description only, and are not intended as a definition of the limits of the invention.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an example of a prior art ejecting member, upon which the device of the present invention is adapted to be installed;

FIG. 2 is a side view of a prior art ejecting assembly showing the ejecting member of FIG. 1 in an inactive position;

FIG. 3 is a side view of a prior art ejecting assembly, showing the ejecting member in a first active position;

FIG. 4 is a perspective cutaway view of several compartments of a cigarette vending machine, showing the ejecting assembly of FIG. 2 in an inactive position, and a second ejecting member in a second active position;

FIG. 5 is a side view of a prior art ejecting assembly, showing the ejecting member in a third active position as a package of cigarettes is dispensed from the machine;

FIG. 6 is a side view of a prior art ejecting assembly, illustrating a condition known as last pack tip-up;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the clip-on adapter of the present invention;

FIG. 8 is a side view of the clip-on adapter of FIG. 7;

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the clip-on adapter of FIG. 7, installed on the ejecting member of FIG. 1;

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a first alternative embodiment of a clip-on adapter according to the present invention;

FIG. 11 is a side view of the clip-on adapter shown in FIG. 10;

FIG. 12 is a perspective view of the clip-on adapter shown in FIG. 10, installed on the ejecting member shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 13 is a perspective view of a second alternative embodiment of a clip-on adapter according to the present invention;

FIG. 14 is a side view of the clip-on adapter shown in FIG. 13;

FIG. 15 is a perspective view of the clip-on adapter of FIG. 13, installed on the ejecting member shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 16 is a side view of an ejecting assembly utilizing the clip-on adapter of the present invention, indicating the operation of its various parts in a scheme for converting an existing cigarette vending machine to dispense cigarette packages of extra-length.

Turning to the drawings, pertinent prior art ejecting apparatus of a popular cigarette vending machine is shown in FIGS. 16, introductory to and necessary for a complete description of the structure and operation of the clip-on adapter according to the present invention, shown in FIGS. 7-16.

Turning first to FIG. 1, an ejecting member 10 (also known in the vending machine art as a vend link) includes an ejecting arm 12 having a T-shaped finger 14. The finger 14 includes an ejecting head 16 having a front face 18, a rear face 20 (more clearly shown in FIG. 4), and a base 22. Although the front face 18 can be planar, a popular type of ejecting head 16 has a front face which includes a pair of protruding portions 24. In this example, the top edges of the protruding portions 24 of the front face 18 are adapted for contact with a package for ejection thereof from the vending machine. The ejecting head 16 further includes a laterally extending detent 26.

At the other end of the ejecting arm 12, a shoulder 28 is provided, having a pair of pivot ears 30 which permits vertical rotational movement of the ejecting head 16 when a foot 32 is coerced in a rearward direction.

Operation of the ejecting member 10 in a cigarette vending machine is shown in FIGS. 2-5. A plurality of cigarette package hoppers, or compartments 34, is provided by the vending machine, aligned in at least one row, each compartment 34 preferably storing a stack of a different brand of cigarettes. Each compartment 34 is provided with a front dispensing aperture 36 which permits the lowermost cigarette package P to be ejected from the stack onto a chute 38 (shown in FIG. 5) for dispensing the package P from the machine.

As shown in FIG. 4, the compartments 34 each include a bottom 40 having a slot 42 extending along the length direction of the package P.

A plurality of ejecting numbers 10 are pivotably coupled to a cradle 44 which is situated beneath the compartment bottoms 40 of each row of compartments 34. One ejecting member 10 is provided for each compartment 34, as well as a selectively actuable solenoid 46 for cooperation with the foot 32 of a corresponding ejecting member 10.

The cradle 44 is supported by a swing arm 48, partly shown in FIGS. 2, 3 and 5, which is pivoted (not shown) and adapted to be driven to provide a long radius movement of the cradle 44 in the forward (ejecting) direction.

When the machine is inactive, the cradle 44 is situated near the rear of the compartments 34, and all of the ejecting members 10 are disposed in an inactive position with their respective ejecting heads 16 positioned beneath the plane of the compartment bottoms 40, as shown in FIG. 2.

In operation, one of the solenoids 46 is energized, pulling the ejecting member foot 32 backwards, thereby causing the ejecting member to pivot about a pivot bar 50, raising the ejecting head 16 and causing the detent 26 to be retained by a detent latch 52, as shown in FIG. 3.

The swing arm 48 is thereupon driven to rotate in the forward direction, causing the detent 26 to fall off the detent latch 52. Upon continued rotation of the swing arm 48, the base 22 of the ejecting head 18 rides through the slot 42, supported by the two portions of the compartment bottom 40. In so doing, the ejecting head front face 18 (actually, the top edges of the protruding portions 24) makes contact with the rear surface of the lowermost package P, as shown in FIG. 4, ultimately ejecting the lowermost package P from the stack. At the end of its forward travel, the ejecting head 16 clears the front edge of the compartment bottom 40 (or enters a widened portion of the slot 42), causing the ejecting member 10 to pivot downward so that the ejecting head 16 assumes a position beneath the compartment bottom 40, as shown in FIG. 5. In the absence of residual magnetism in the solenoid 46, gravitational forces are generally sufiicient to reset the head 16 below the compartment bottom 40. Often, however, the presence of residual magnetism in the solenoid 46 retains the ejecting head 16 in its upward position, so that when the swing arm 48 is rotated in a rearward direction, the ejecting head 16 will jam against the compartment bottom 40 or a package P. Many vending machines are therefore provided with a reset bar 54, so that at the end of the forward travel of the ejecting head 16, the ejecting arm 12 strikes the reset bar 54 to place the head 16 in its proper reset position.

During forward movement of the T-shaped finger 14 through the slot 42, the bottom edge of the front face 18 of the ejecting head 16 moves linearly in the ejecting direction, as the swing arm 48 is rotated. This is accomplished by the combined effects of the long radius of the swing arm and the short radius of the pivoted ejecting member 10, and the vertical restraint of the ejection head 16 provided by the compartment bottom 40. It should be noted that, during the forward progression of the ejecting head 16, the base 22 of the ejecting head 16 is caused to rotate upwards about the lower edge of the ejecting head front face 18.

Turning to FIG. 6, an existing cigarette vending machine problem known as last pack tip-up is illustrated. When the last package P of cigarettes from a stack is ejected from the compartment 34, the rear end of the package tends to tip in an upward direction, since the package P is not supporting the weight of other cigarette packages. When this occurs, the ejecting head 16 can ride under the package P. Instead of being ejected through the dispensing aperture 36, the package P becomes wedged between the compartment bottom 40 and the front of the compartment 34, jamming the ejecting head 16 against the wedged cigarette package.

Turning to FIGS. 7 and 8, a preferred embodiment of a clip-on adapter according to the present invention is shown, which comprises a contacting member 60 having a top edge 62, adapted for attachment to the ejecting member of FIG. 1, as shown in FIG. 9. The contacting member 60 includes clip means for attaching the contacting member to the ejecting head 16 of the ejecting member 10.

The contacting member 60 is made of a resilient material, such as spring steel plate, and includes a front portion 64 and a rear portion 66, with the top edge 62 common to both portions 64, 66. The rear portion 66 includes hook means, such as the pair of hooks 68, for holding engagement with the ejecting head base 22 and rear face 20 of the ejecting head 16.

The front portion 64 of the contacting member 60 has a height greater than the height of the ejecting head front face 18, and includes biasing means for cooperation with the front face 18, for biasing the front portion 64 away from ejecting head front face 18 thereby causing the lower part of the rear portion 66 to press against the ejecting head rear face 20 and the hooks 68 to be retained by the ejecting head 16. For example, the biasing means can be a pair of biasing members 70 which are inwardly upturned extensions of the front portion 64. The biasing members 70 are sufiiciently separated from each other in order to prevent interference with the ejecting finger 14. For use with the particular ejecting head front face 18 of FIG. 1 (i.e. having the protruding portions 24), the maximum widths of each of the biasing members 70 are determined by the areas of the ejecting head front face 18 between a protruding portion 24 and the finger 14 (see FIG. 1).

The contacting member 60 is installed on the ejecting member 10 by placing the biasing members 70 in contact with the ejecting head front face 18, on laterally opposite sides of the finger 14, and the hooks 68 in contact with the ejecting head rear face 20. The contacting member 60 is then coerced toward the ejecting head base 22, until the contacting member rear portion 66 bears against the ejecting head rear face 20, and the hooks 68 are securely locked against the ejecting head base 22. It should be noted that in the example shown, the contacting member rear portion 66 includes an area between the ejecting head rear face 20 and the contacting member top edge 62, which is forwardly inclined with respect to the area of the rear portion 66 in contact with the ejecting head rear face 20. The contacting member front portion 64 is therefore forwardly inclined, displacing the top edge 62 from the ejecting head front face 18 in the ejecting direction.

When installed, the contacting member 60 in effect creates a new ejecting head for the ejecting member 10, the new ejecting head having a greater height than the height of the supporting ejecting head 16.

Turning to FIGS. 10', 11 and 12, a first alternative embodiment of a clip-on adapter according to the present invention is shown. A contacting member 60' is similar to the contacting member 60 of the preferred embodiment, with the following exception. The front portion 64' includes a tongue 72, inclined. therefrom and orthogonal to the top edge 62'. The tongue 72 is positioned for alignment with the ejecting arm 12, as shown in FIG. 12. The free end 74 of the tongue 72, is channelshaped for mating with the ejecting arm 12 when the gontacting member 60' is installed on the ejecting mem- A second alternative embodiment of a clip-on adapter according to the present invention, is shown in FIGS. 13, 14 and 15. A contacting member 60" is similar to the contacting member 60' of the first alternative embodiment, with the following exception. The biasing members 70", instead of being simple inwardlly upturned extensions of the front portion 64" (as in the preferred and first alternative embodiments), each include a curl 76 having a lip 78 for engagement with. the front edge of the ejecting head base 22. When installed on the ejecting member 10, the hooks 68 and the lips 78 are securely locked against the ejecting head base 22. The presence of the curls 76 permits greater ease in installation of the contacting member 60" on the supporting ejecting head 16.

Turning now to FIG. 16, the clip-on adapter of the present invention is shown during operation in a cigarette vending machine. As an example, operation of the first alternative embodiment of the contacting member 60' will be described.

It should be preliminarily noted that the cigarette package compartments 34 of FIGS. 2 through 6 has been replaced by a new cigarette compartment 34 having greater depth, in order to accommodate the greater length packages. In an existing cigarette vending machine having a plurality of compartment rows (generally two or three rows of ten compartments each are present) one of the compartment rows can be replaced by a row assembly of new compartments 34', for example the most rearwardly positioned row. The swing arm 48 is thereupon repositioned (such as by repositioning the swing arm pivot point, not shown) in the rearwardly direction so that the ejecting head detents 26 will be latched upon the detent latch 52 (e.g., see FIG. 3) when the solenoid 46 is energized.

It will be recalled from the discussion of FIGS. 2 through 5, that the swing arm 48 is driven through a particular arc for moving the T-shaped finger 14 through the compartment bottom slot 42. The combined effects of the long radius of the swing arm 48, the short radius of the pivoted ejecting member 10, and the ejecting head 16 vertical restraint provided by the compartment bottom, causes the base 22 of the ejecting head 16 to rotate upwards about the lower edge of the ejecting head front face 18. Since the new ejecting head provided by the installed contacting member 60' has increased height, this rotation of the base 22 causes the contacting member top edge 62' to precede the supporting ejecting head 16 in the ejecting direction. This results in the top edge 62 moving a third distance when the cradle 44 is moved a first distance in the ejecting direction, and the supporting ejecting head moves a second distance. This third distance is obviously greater than the second distance, and is sufficient to cause the lowermost extra-length package P to be ejected from the stack and to slide through the chute 38, as shown in FIG. 16.

Furthermore, the contacting member top edge 62' is always higher in position than the ejecting head front face 18, and it is always in contact with the rear of the cigarette pack P. Should the last package in the stack tip up as shown in FIG. 6, the extra height of the contacting member top edge 62 does not permit the contacting member to move under the lowermost package, avoiding the problem of last pack tip-up. It should be pointed out that the preferred embodiment of the contacting member 60 (FIG. 7) can be utilized in existing cigarette vending machines for dispensing ordinary length cigarette packages, for avoiding the last pack tip-up problem.

In a vending machine which does not rely upon a reset bar 54 for resetting the ejecting member 10 under the compartment bottom after ejection of the lowermost package, the preferred embodiment contacting member 60 can be utilized for dispensing the extra-length packages. However, where a reset bar 54 is necessary, the alternative embodiments which include the tongue 72 must be utilized. Since the T-shaped finger 14 was rearwardly repositioned, the finger 14 will not strike the reset bar 54 when the ejecting member 10 has completed the forward part of its cycle. The tongue 74 provides a new surface for contact with the reset bar 54 (see FIG. 16), coercing the ejecting member 10 to be downwardly swung in its cradle for replacing the ejecting head in its reset position beneath the compartment bottom 40'.

It should be additionally noted that, during the forward travel, the installed second alternative embodiment contacting member 60" rides upon the curls 76, so that the ejecting head base 22 is raised from the compartment bottom 40 and rotates about the curls 76.

Thus, there has been shown several embodiments of a clip-on adapter for a vending machine ejecting member, for use in converting existing vending machines to dispense packages of greater length than that for which the vending machines were originally designed. Additionally, the preferred embodiment shown can be utilized for correcting a last pack tip-up condition in an unconverted vending machine. Other embodiments of the present invention and modifications of the embodiments presented herein may be developed without departing from the essential characteristics thereof.

What is claimed as new is:

1. For combination with an ejecting arm having a T- shaped finger in a machine for dispensing packages from a stack, the T-shaped finger having an ejecting head of particular height which, when in register with the lowermost package of the stack and when the arm is moved a first distance in an ejecting direction, coerces the package to move a second distance,

an adapter for coercing the package to move a third distance when the arm is moved the first distance, the third distance being greater than the second distance, the adapter comprising:

contacting member having a top edge, said member including clip means for attaching said member to the ejecting head having a height greater than the particular height, said top edge being adapted to be in register with a package and to move said third distance when the arm is moved said first distance, said contactor member further including a tongue inclined therefrom and orthogonal to said top edge, said tongue adapted for cooperation with a reset bar of the machine after said top edge has moved said third distance, for coercing the head to a reset position below the lowermost package of the stack.

2. The adapter according to claim 1, above, wherein said clip means includes hook means on said rear portion and biasing means on said front portion for cooperation with the ejecting head.

3. The adapter according to claim 2, above, wherein said front portion includes a tongue inclined therefrom and orthogonal to said top edge, said tongue adapted for cooperation with a reset bar of the machine after said top edge has moved said third distance, for coercing the head to a reset position below the lowermost package of the stack.

4. The adapter according to claim 3, above, wherein said front portion is adapted to extend below the ejecting head.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,319,822 5/1967 Ovsienko 221129 STANLEY H. TOLLBERG, Primary Examiner 

